livvy6 - Gravity Keeper

"Let not the sun go down on your wrath."

Ephesians 4:26

Wrath

Fred and George Weasley sat in their storeroom, listening to Ron's latest wank about his break-up with Hermione.

Fred cleared his throat. "Look, Ronnie-kins, this is all exciting, you going to pieces over Hermione, but are you planning to DO something about it?"

"What d'you expect me to do?" Ron shouted. "You know she's seeing Snape? He's so rich now. Maybe that's what Hermione wants...some rich bloke."

"He's hopeless," said George to his twin.

"Completely," replied Fred. "If you want Hermione, then you need to out-Slytherin Snape."

Ron looked as if they had asked him to kill himself. "That's impossible! Snape tricked You-Know-Who... He was a spy... He knows all the angles!"

"Not true, little brother," Fred announced as he led them all into the front room. Fred took a handful of parchments from underneath the register and sorted through them. When he found what he was looking for, he looked up, grinning wickedly.

"What you need is some inside information," he said.

Ron knitted his brow. "What is it?"

Fred turned the parchment to show Ron. "You see that? There's your way to get Hermione."

"This can't be real. It doesn't sound like Snape." He frowned as he glanced further.

"Little brother," continued Fred, "you have so much to learn. Now, Hermione is a proper witch, right?"

"Yeah," Ron mumbled.

"Do you think Snape has... you know?"

"No!" Ron insisted. "I know Hermione. She's not easy to get in the sack. Snape'll be waiting for a while."

"But you and she ...?" asked George.

"Of course!" Ron said, affronted.

"There's your edge!" Fred explained. "You need to buy these things. You need Hermione to know she means more to you than Quidditch."

Ron's eyes lit up. "Y'think it'll work?"

"Absolutely," Fred and George said in unison.

"But it won't be without sacrifice," reminded George.

"It will cost you every knut you have and then some," added Fred.

"It's really underhanded," Ron whispered.

"Sure," said Fred. "And I am positive that Professor Severus Snape would NEVER stoop to such gaucherie!"

George sniggered. "When dealing with Snape, little bro, watch out. He won't give up without a fight."

"You have to outfox him," interjected Fred. "Don't think for one second Snape hasn't been plotting this very idea. You'll just do it first."

*******

Severus and Hermione walked to her flat after a wonderful dinner and night at the opera. Hermione leaned into his arm. Things were moving along beautifully. Severus had her arse over teakettle when he had shown up at her door two months ago with flowers and an invitation to dinner.

Hermione smiled as she remembered how Severus had declared his intentions to her.

Severus fiddled with flatware and cleared his throat. "Hermione," he said, "I find you to be an intriguing and intelligent witch. I would like to see where this might lead, if you are agreeable."

Hermione felt shivers up and down her arms. Never had the word 'good' held so much promise.

They reached her flat, and Hermione stood on her toes to kiss Severus charily on the cheek. She had never before been the aggressor during these moments. Severus looked down at her as she slowly lowered herself, her hand sliding down his black-clad chest.

Silently, Hermione unlocked the door and slid her hand into Severus', welcoming him into her flat. Inside, it was dark, but light enough for them. Severus shut the door with his foot as he drew Hermione closer. He kissed her mouth tentatively at first; however, she had invited him in, and he needed nothing more to understand what she wanted.

The couch groaned as they added their weight onto it. Hermione parted her lips, and Severus crushed her against him with a scorching kiss. His mouth traveled down her neck as his hand felt its way up her side to her breast.

Hermione squeaked as his hand made contact. They broke apart, and Hermione scrambled off him.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I forgot myself."

"If that is how you forget yourself, you should be rendered an amnesiac," Severus replied, his fingers brushing her cheek.

"Taking things slow," Hermione whispered.

*******

Severus didn't know whom she was reminding, but it didn't matter. When it was time, she would invite him to go further...and there would be no stopping.

*******

Hermione went to work early the following morning. She felt content. Her new job as a researcher for the Wizengamot was fascinating. She entered her office and eagerly dove into the documents on her desk.

An hour later, she heard tapping on the glass window of her door. She stood in shock as Ron Weasley entered her office.

"Ronald!" she breathed. "What are you...how did you know I was working here?"

Ron smiled. "It's not that hard, Hermione. We still share lots of friends."

"What do you want?" she snapped at him. She immediately regretted speaking so harshly, but since he didn't know about Severus, she wasn't comfortable being around him yet.

"Hermione," Ron began as he placed two large, dark brown parcels on her desk. "I know I really messed up. I love you, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to show you how much I value you. Have you seen these?" He gestured at the bags on her desk. The packaging looked vaguely familiar. She warily turned one toward her. She saw the brand name Sexuality and gasped, drawing her hand to her mouth. She reached quickly and saw its twin, Sensuality.

"Oh, Ron," she whispered. "What have you done?"

Ron walked to her, grasping her hands. "I spent all the money I was saving for my new Quidditch broom and emptied my account at Gringotts! All the witches are raving about this stuff, and you mean more to me than Quidditch or anything! Please give me a chance. I'm putting my heart out here, Hermione. I love you!"

Hermione opened her mouth to tell him about Severus when he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. Hermione reached up and suctioned him off her face.

"Ronald Weasley!" she shouted as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "We are over! Do you understand? Over!"

"But I bought you all this stuff!" Ron yelled back at her. "These chocolates alone cost fifty Galleons!"

Hermione whipped out her wand and narrowed her eyes. "It could be treacle fudge for all I care! You should know by now that I cannot be swept off my feet with such foofaraws! If you knew me at all, you would have come in here with a first edition of Hogwarts, A History! At least that might have been impressive."

Ron backed away as she started to move towards him.

"For your information, Ronald, I am seeing Severus Snape, and if he knew what you've done...he would turn you into a newt! Now, you take these things and leave before I do something regrettable!"

Ron grabbed his bags. "I knew it was hopeless!" he snarled. "Why can't you be like other, normal witches?"

Hermione set her jaw and slashed her wand fiercely, shouting "Appungo!"

Ron screamed as he burst out of her office, jostling his packages in his attempts to stop the determined, yellow, pecking budgies.

Hermione glared at the people who had poked their heads out of their offices to see what the argy-bargy was about, then whirled back into her office, slamming the door behind her.

***

Hermione dragged her weary body up the stairs to her flat. All she wanted was to sink into a hot bath and wash away everything that had happened with Ron.

At least it's done now, she thought. I don't have to worry about Ron finding out about Severus.

Hermione reached her door and saw her locking charms were breached. She dropped her satchel and coat and took out her wand before moving closer.

She gasped. Severus stood in the middle of her flat, looking as angry as she had ever seen him. He snapped his fingers, and the door shut behind her.

"What is going on here?" she asked him, confused.

"I could ask the same of you," he seethed. He began to pace as he continued to speak softly. "Imagine me, walking into the Ministry of Magic to bring you a rose to express my happiness about our interlude last evening. I saw you and Weasley standing together. I saw his hands covering yours and two bags of my very own products on your desk. Now, imagine my shock when I saw him kiss you!"

He stopped pacing in front of Hermione, towering over her darkly. "Just how long were you planning to play me for a fool?" he demanded. He backed up, and a sneer crept across his face. "And I thought you were made of better things...quality, honesty, truthfulness. I never would have guessed you had so much Slytherin in you."

"Severus!" Hermione said, trying to explain.

He turned from her, his hands balled into tight, white fists. Then, he swung around and roared, "You are no better than Lily! What are Muggle-born Gryffindor witches made of, I wonder?"

"You don't understand..." Hermione began.

"SHUT UP!" he screamed in a vicious rage.

Hermione was shocked. The last time she'd seen him like this was in her third year, first at the Shrieking Shack, then later in the infirmary when Sirius Black had escaped.

Hermione wanted to cry, but her pride wouldn't let her. She jerked her wand, and in an instant, Severus was bound in magical ropes on the floor. He growled and exploded out of them.

Hermione was furious. "Fine! You've had your say; now let me have mine! Two wizards who claim to care deeply for me have ambushed me today, and my patience is at an end!" she shrieked.

"You have no business breaking into my flat! I don't care how furious you are...there are lines, and you crossed one. You accuse me of being other than forthright. How dare you! It wasn't my idea for Ronald to barge into my office and act like an enormous arse...not that you are doing any better yourself! At least he brought presents! If you had bothered to stick around for the show, you would have seen me send a pack of vengeful birds to scratch off his face in order to run him out of my office! I told him I was seeing you! I told him it was over! HE grabbed ME and kissed me, thinking to win me over with your fancy products. I wanted to wretch at the thought of using any of those Sexuality products with him, knowing you brewed them. If I wanted to use those things with any wizard, it would be you, you idiot!" she hollered.

*******

Severus gazed at Hermione, her hair coming loose from the confines of her combs. Her wand sparked, her breasts heaved, and her eyes burned like amber fire. He was in complete awe. Everything was all right after all. He felt like a complete plonker. What was that she just said?

"If I wanted to use those things with any wizard, it would be you, you idiot!"

His mouth fell open. His mind swam with all the tantalizing thoughts he'd had for two months now. His heart raced at images of Hermione naked on his bed. If he was ever going to make those images reality, he'd better repair the damage he had created...quick!

Author's note: My deepest thanks to you, kitty. Thank you for your patience and helpfulness.

Word count: 1973

Words used: gaucherie, chary, storeroom, treacle fudge, and foofaraw